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Toaru Kagaku no Railgun Gaiden Astral Buddy Vol.1 Review


Chapter 01: Shirai Kuroko responds to a robbing incident and captures the culprit. However, a fellow Judgment member scolds her for moving outside of Tokiwadai Middle School, her division's jurisdiction, and summons Kuroko back to headquarters to deal with a case involving members of Shokuhou Misaki's clique in Tokiwadai.


On the Judgment 177 Branch Office, Kuroko meets Hokaze Junko, a student of Tokiwadai who serves as the #2 in Shokuhou's clique and Rank 5 Level 5's representative in the case. Junko tells them of rumors about a series of incidents involving a "white shadow"—a ghost—but Kuroko treats the rumor with skepticism. Furthermore, most of the victims are Junko's friends, and each incident is left with a card saying "Stay away from my onee-sama!". As a result of this, Kuroko concludes that Hokaze is the "onee-sama" in question, and someone is trying to pull pranks on someone who gets too close to her.


The office suddenly receives a call of a related incident, and Kuroko rushes to the Tokiwadai campus, where a girl was slightly injured after seeing "something white" while using the stairs. Because the incident now involves casualties (albeit minor), Kuroko decides to be more serious on the case. However, in order to catch the culprit, Kuroko plans to stay close to Junko, hoping that she would be targeted next. As Kuroko and Junko begin the plan to expose the prankster, it attacks, throwing a water balloon filled with black ink on Kuroko's face. Although startled at first, Kuroko vows to catch the culprit once and for all. However, without any clues to help them, Junko decided to use her ability to track down the scent from the card left during the latest attack on Kuroko.


As night falls, Kuroko and Junko continue their search inside the campus. The scent trail brings them to a doll filled with irritating perfume. They later continue their search until they see a girl accusing Kuroko of "stealing her onee-sama" and "her indiscriminate affection on other girls" on the school rooftop. Kuroko takes offense to her accusation, but Junko manages to stop the incident from escalating by telling the girl that she would like to be friends with her. The girl who adores Junko is devastated by the response, while Kuroko tries to explain to Junko that the girl is in love with her, much to her confusion. Junko's flustered reaction to the concept causes the girl to lose her footing, and Kuroko is unable to immediately respond due to the perfume interfering with her focus. Instead, Junko leaps off to rescue the girl, using her ability Rampage Dress to boost her physical abilities.


Junko hurts her arm after trying to make a landing, but manages to save the girl with some help from Kuroko. Junko herself is convinced that the incident was caused by the doll and the girl's actions mistaken for paranormal activity. However, as Junko picks up the doll from earlier, a wispy image of a girl appears and greets her.


Chapter 02: Junko accepts the ghost girl's request in investigating what happened to her.


Chapter 03: Junko wakes up to find that she is wearing the dress that her father gave to her when she was younger. Finding out that the ghost girl had once again possessed her body and made her wear the dress, it then rips as it has become too tight for Junko. Later, Junko still has problems in how she would be able to help the ghost girl as she is unable to take a photo of her. Junko later participates in a meeting the Queen's clique, and draws the ghost girl's portrait, impressing her fellow clique members.


Suddenly, a tired Shokuhou Misaki, the Queen of Tokiwadai, arrives and demands that her thirst be quenched. Junko and the other spring into action to make her feel better, impressing the ghost girl. Junko later sees that Misaki is missing her bag, to which Misaki responds that it has been stolen. In a flashback to her wandering about the Indian Poker cards, her bag is suddenly stolen by a lemur, and though she tries to run after it she become easily tired and delegates the task to other girls instead.


Misaki in the present time tells Kobayashi Shimanaka to take command and not allow the lemur to escape Tokiwadai. Like a well-oiled machine, Shimanaka takes charge and orders the rest of the clique to do what she says. Junko is ordered to stay put, and is teased by it by Shimanaka. The ghost girl is also interested and goes with the search as well. Misaki orders Junko to massage her (the first time Junko is asked of this), making Junko embarassed. As Junko massages Misaki's legs, she mentions how she knows about Junko spraining her wrist, and tells her not to push herself too much. Meanwhile, the girls of the clique find the lemur and draws the attention of the other Tokiwadai girls.


As the massage continues, Junko becomes a little to enthustiastic of her duties, making Misaki tease her. She then wonders about Junko's drawing, the ghost girl, and notices something about it. Misaki asks about it but Junko says that it is a private matter, making Misaki say that because of that she wants to know more about it. Misaki leans in and tells Junko that since she is part of her clique everything she owns belongs to her, even her worries. As Misaki leans in close to Junko, too close as if to kiss her, the other clique members finally arrive, barging into the room, much to their jealousy.


As the clique wonders about what they should do with the lemur. Misaki thoughts dwell on how someone would use their power to control the lemur and steal her bag. She wonders who could have done it and for what purpose and why there was no follow up. Moreover, her thoughts also wonder toward Junko, still in a daze after Misaki's antics. The ghost girl returns as well and tells Junko of what she saw. Misaki then leaves, leaving everything else to Junko, but before that she uses her powers on a girl to later bump into Junko, scattering the papers she was carrying.


The girl leaves one piece of paper however, and it is an accurate drawing of the ghost girl. Misaki has used her powers to help Junko on her task, and is relieved that she isn't in any kind of danger, though is annoyed that she puts her in so much trouble. Meanwhile, a girl gazes from a window, dismayed that the lemur was captured and the bag is still in Misaki's possession. The girl then thinks that she needs more advice.


Chapter 04: Junko and the ghost girl visit the third Judgment Branch office for help with the drawing of the ghost girl she obtained earlier from Misaki. Kuroko mentions that there have been many strange incidents as of late and have been understaffed. After some arguing, Kuroko gives Komaki the duty in investigating the picture.


Junko then asks Kuroko if she knows anyone who is good at investigating things and gathering information. Kuroko has one person in mind. Junko goes to Sakugawa Middle School and surprises the students and faculty there. Junko eventually gets to Judgment 177 Branch Office and meets Uiharu Kazari, who is enamored by Junko's ojou status. Getting back to business, Junko shows off a photo of the drawing, which troubles Uiharu as it would've been easier if it was a photo of the person of a drawing. Suddenly, Ruiko appears and offers her help, much to Uiharu's dismay as she isn't a member of Judgment. Junko mentions to Ruiko of the 7 mysteries of Tokiwadai as it is somewhat connected to the person she is looking for. Junko is ecstatic as Ruiko mentions several rumors regarding ghosts, including a few ones related to the Imaginary Number District.


They then talk about a tree in Tokiwadai that blesses lovers but the conversation turns awkward when they realize that the only people in Tokiwadai including the staff are female. Sensing the implication, both Junko and Ruiko become embarrassed, with the former remembering the few awkward situations she had with fellow female students in Tokiwadai. Ruiko later mentions to Junko about the Indian Poker and invites her to visit a shop that was selling them, while Kazari takes a look at the picture Junko brought.


As Ruiko goes on her "date" with Junko, Keitz Nokleben is with Misaki, being ordered to investigate how Indian Poker is being distributed. Keitz notice Misaki being down, to which Misaki mentions the incident of the monkey stealing her bag. Keitz picks up that Misaki obviously knew who was behind it, which she confirms. In Misaki's thoughts however there is something amiss with the card she has as she could not read the information on the card, though she does sense a powerful malice.


Chapter 05: Tokiwadai is holding a Powers Development Exam and Junko participates running in track, which she wins first place. The coach is impressed by this as she fixes Junko's messed up hair, noting how Junko won in spite of her handicap: her large breast. Junko is naturally embarassed by this, though the coach says she is just joking. With that in mind, despite the Tokiwadai students being so skilled, she wonders why they kept losing to Nagatenjouki, believing that the girls are all holding and that should play a little dirty.


Kuroko complains how they are unable to use powers with an influence value or higher for the Powere Development Exam, as it is too much for her as a teleporter. Moreover, Misaka Mikoto isn't with her to comfort her. Junko states that Level 5s have their own facility for their exams. Kuroko notes that there are more weird tests, and Junko replies that they doing new things because of Daihaseisai.


The scene cuts to the archery range where the coach says the students' fine control and endurance will be tested. She introduces Yumiya Iruka, a member of the archery club to mentor them. Kuroko complains as she uses teleport on her arrows with restrictions, though still managing a bullseye. Meanwhile, Junko does the same with her powers, Rampage Dress. The Ghost Girl is amazed by Junko and asks if she knows archery, to which she says they learned it in class. Iruka of the archery club does it pretty handily as well. However, the coach is still isn't satisfied and changes things up a bit. She makes rules on how she will be adding points to the target and the one with the most points at the end of the time limit will win, and if someone misses once they'll be disqualified no matter how many points they acquired. And to motivate them, the prize is a Gekota make-up pouch. Most of the girls however have a chilly reception towards the prize, barring the Gekoer Junko, knowing the exact details of the make-up pouch. Anticipating the students' reception, the coach adds one more thing; if one uses the pouch right, a certain Level 5 will do anything one wants. Now Kuroko is all fired up and begins taking the little contest seriously.


Using their powers, it would seem only Junko and Kuroko are in the running for the prize as they accurately hit the bullseye in the same position, splitting the arrow shafts as they do, over and over again. In the end, only Junko, Kuroko, and Iruka are the only ones left. Iruka is impressed but won't allow the other two to win as she still has the pride of being the archery club captain to defend. Kuroko continues to teleport arrows but suddenly a bright flashes blinds her and her alone and she misses, disqualifying her, much to her utter dismay.


Now it's down to Junko and Iruka, at their limit of their endurance, and both are impressed with each other for enduring this long. But it's over, as soon as Iruka plucks the bow, a sound vibrates toward Junko and she becomes startled, missing her mark. Iruka wins and she congratulates Junko on a job well done and takes her prize, frustrating Junko. Iruka asks since Junko "gave up" so easily then did that mean that she didn't want the Gekota pouch. Junko says she really wanted it. Iruka giggles and says that the kind of purity she expected from her, but wished she had more determination to win and taken the contest more seriously, as she might regret it eventually.


Strolling around in the School Garden, Ghost Girl is sorry for Junko losing but was impressed by her. Junko thanks her, and notes that she doesn't need to stay around her all the time as she won't run away and she might get bored. But the Ghost Girl says that she is never bored whenever she is with Junko and she doesn't even care at all that much about who she is anymore. Junko reciprocates, saying she isn't bored whenever she is with her as well, though she wants do wants to know who she is. Hearing this, the Ghost Girl hopes they can be together forever.


Back in the Tokiwadai school grounds, the girl who ordered the lemur to steal Misaki's purse is talking to a tree, asking for advice after her lemur got captured. Suddenly, her lemur comes scurrying right back to her. Just as she grabs it, she comes under the power of Shokuhou Misaki, the Mental Out. She arrives with her clique and tells them to be on the look out. She comes close to her, thinking that she was the one who setup a decoy and then setup a surprise attack. Misaki is surprised to have resolved it all so easily, and wonders if there is a connection between the Indian Poker card she has and the girl who is after her purse. Wanting to know why the girl wanted her purse. She uses her power on her to read her mind, but in her mind she sees Iruka and shows off a powerful flash that stuns Misaki after reading the girl's mind.


Misaki collapses and so does the girl. Iruka arrives on-scene and notes how she planned it all and Misaki fell for it easily, mocking how she relies too much on her power.


Rating: 7/10

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